Cons:
1) Too smooth. If you've dropped phones in the past, don't get it - you WILL drop it. I had a couple of close calls, and this is the first time I had to worry about it.
2) Sharp edges. They are pretty sharp and are very uncomfortable to hold. If you care about handling the phone, don't get it.
Pros:
1) Form factor - absolutely amazing. Adds no more than 2mm on bottom, sides. Doesn't add any heft on the top at all. Pretty much looks like a naked Evo. Easy to put on and remove.
2) Protects the camera lens much more than some other cases (Sprint silicone and Body Glove cases) - small camera hole plus raised edge.
3) Looks very nice.
Bottom line - if you want to impress friends, get it. If you don't care about that, get a bigger, sturdier, easy to handle case, like the other two I mentioned.
Related
Just picked up a 'black' nokia gel case for my lumia 900 from the local at&t shop (no cyan, only black and pink - rep didn't even know it came in cyan...). It looks very nice on the phone and much prefered to the alternative 'bumper' they're peddling - maybe got used to selling them for iphone 4's ;-)
Coming from a CaseMate "Barely There" covered HD7, there are a couple of things I miss already and trying to find work-arounds:
- the nokia case is very slippery (tried washing it in dish soap, no improvement);
- lip around the case appears to just barely protect the screen's bezel while face down.
- elongated camera hole looks nice, but again there is less surface to grip.
The CM Barely There case is harder, thinner material but gives the phone much better grip without a lot of work. I like to lay the phone face down on my desk or at meeting tables. The screen bezel looks great but chip without the right cover. Ends of the Nokia Gel Case appear to be just a little bit higher than this bezel so may not be a problem.
Last thing is the elongated camera hole. I mostly operate the HD7 single handedly (left hand) with thumb to select and swipe (big hands). Much harder to do with the long camera hole -- less contact = less grip.
Any similar experiences or comparisons to the Barely There case for the Lumia 900 would be appreciated.
The aluminum bumper from capdae looks nice. I like the black/gold especially, or maybe the all silver color. Has anyone tried it yet? I want to know how rigid it is, if it really is aluminum, and whether it is smooth and cool to the touch. Also wanted to know if the break where the two pieces snap together can be easily felt, and if the finish is good and smooth with no sharp or rough places. I've bought cheap snap-on hard cases and the break where they snap on was always rough and unpleasant.
Here's a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpNyO1AaOUg
Here's the same thing for the S2. It's easier to see the bumper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRHvtTb4j-s
katamari201 said:
The aluminum bumper from capdae looks nice. I like the black/gold especially, or maybe the all silver color. Has anyone tried it yet? I want to know how rigid it is, if it really is aluminum, and whether it is smooth and cool to the touch. Also wanted to know if the break where the two pieces snap together can be easily felt, and if the finish is good and smooth with no sharp or rough places. I've bought cheap snap-on hard cases and the break where they snap on was always rough and unpleasant.
Here's a video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpNyO1AaOUg
Here's the same thing for the S2. It's easier to see the bumper.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRHvtTb4j-s
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Click to collapse
I have one, it's pretty good! The frame itself is definitely aluminium (checked for solidity and sonorous...ity and confirm it's metal) Takes a little effort to snap it together, but once in place it's extremely solid with no flex whatsoever. The frame is also slightly raised at the back in each corner so the camera lens does not touch the "surface" when you put it down (something that was crucial to me and not clear from the pictures)
The only slight downside is that the metal is quite smooth so it's a little slippery compared to my previous leather case (unsurprising!) and the brushed effect is only average, would have preferred a "matte" effect but that's only a minor gripe.
As for sharp edges, the only edges I really notice are around the stylus gap but even these aren't particularly sharp, just 90° cuts.
This frame is definitely not going anywhere without the opening tool, that's for sure!
Why do people put these bumpers on their phones...I mean on a phone like the iPhone or S2 where it's small, I'd get it...but on a large phone like the Note....I just find it so fugly.
PoisonWolf said:
Why do people put these bumpers on their phones...I mean on a phone like the iPhone or S2 where it's small, I'd get it...but on a large phone like the Note....I just find it so fugly.
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Considering it's up to them since they bought it..
Tell you what, you can buy me another Note and put whatever you want on it.
What kind of aluminum is it and how does it feel? Say in comparison to the iPad (abit rough but nice), iPad2/3 (a bit too smooth and not as rigid as first ipad), iPhone (stainless steel-ish), samsung phones like the s8500 wave and omnia 7 (brushed and too rough, not very rigid). I guess any household item or gadget to describe it would be nice. Would like to also know how much of a surface area increase does it provide over just the bare chrome trim, and whether it is easier and more comfortable to hold with it on. Holding it comfortably and securely is my main focus. Oh, also wanted to know whether there is any soft material in the inside, especially where it touches the front glass, to protect the phone from getting scratched by the frame.
katamari201 said:
What kind of aluminum is it and how does it feel? Say in comparison to the iPad (abit rough but nice), iPad2/3 (a bit too smooth and not as rigid as first ipad), iPhone (stainless steel-ish), samsung phones like the s8500 wave and omnia 7 (brushed and too rough, not very rigid). I guess any household item or gadget to describe it would be nice. Would like to also know how much of a surface area increase does it provide over just the bare chrome trim, and whether it is easier and more comfortable to hold with it on. Holding it comfortably and securely is my main focus. Oh, also wanted to know whether there is any soft material in the inside, especially where it touches the front glass, to protect the phone from getting scratched by the frame.
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Click to collapse
The only soft inside is on the back section in the four corners. The phone does not move around at all so there is no risk of scratching, which is also coupled with the fact that aluminium physically cannot scratch Gorilla Glass - in fact your screen will scratch the aluminium!
As for holding it, there is a certain degree of personal opinion involved. Some people would find the ridge on the back surface (the cutout of the frame where it meets the battery cover) uncomfortable, however I really like it because it provided a gripping point for your fingers when holding one handed a bit like the finger ridges on some digital cameras.
Size-wise, it only adds ~2mm on each side so not much of a difference.
The finish is brushed aluminium, so cannot be compared to any iDevice because they are all matte/sandblasted. The finish reminds me of the brushed aluminium of the Hyper Osiris PC case (mainly because I had one of these myself for a while) If you do a Google Images search and filter for large images you'll get a good view of the finish style. One thing for sure, it definitely does not flex when pushed anywhere!
capdase usually has good, reliable and cheaper cases for those on a budget i think in some you get a free screen gaurd too which is like killing two birds with one stone
nikethdesouza said:
capdase usually has good, reliable and cheaper cases for those on a budget i think in some you get a free screen gaurd too which is like killing two birds with one stone
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Forgot to mention that bit, my Duo Frame came with a screen protector as well. Not applied it yet though!
Hey All,
I recently purchase an aluminium bumper for my white nexus 5. Here's quick quick review
Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brand-CHAO-...t=US_Cell_Phone_PDA_Cases&hash=item1c3b6ff83c
Pros:
-Slim! This thing fits really nice in the hand
-Looks sexy and High Quality feel (solid).
-All the corners are well covered ( what I really look for in a bumper.) On the inside has thin rubber lining to prevent phone from scratching.
-Has a lip that would raise the screen a little bit if you place your phone face down.
-You can take out the sim tray w/o taking the whole case off.
-Comes with extra screws + tool.
Cons:
-Signal strength is slightly weaker. I don't have time to run numbers but I do notice gps takes a sec or two longer to lock and 1-2 bars drop in some areas.
-All the ports are nicely cut except for the headphone jack. It can be tight on some bigger plugs or doesn't fit at all.
-Screws, This case requires a tiny phillip to take off the two screws that holds the case together as shown in picture.
-Doesn't protect the back/camera, due to nexus 5 being curved out.
Conclusion:
Overall, I really like it despite the signal drop in some areas. This thing is sexy and minimal.
TL;DR: buy if you want more grip on the phone and don't mind minimal protection, don't expect a premium product as it's average at best.
This may or may not be the case for you. The case is extremely cool looking with the carbon weave under a smoked layer of resin that feels somewhat rubbery if you ever had a oneplus "karbon" case you'll know the texture its grippy but not so much that it grabs onto lint and anything else that may be residing in your pocket. It's also extremely thin, I didn't measure it but their claims of being less than 1mm thick seem very true there isn't much bulk added to the phone nor weight. Both pieces of the case comes with semi sticky pads (more like post it note sticky not 3m double sided tape) on them to keep it planted onto the device which definitely helps it stay put unlike the issues some experienced with other cases, it does however make the phone difficult to open since the case covers the beveled edges and makes them pretty flat with the inner screen.
Now onto the negatives of which there are a few, the biggest issue and the one that ruined the case for me isthe fact that it doesn't cover the bottom of the chin leaving everything exposed, and worse yet the piece that covers the front of the chin seems like it'd be perfect to trap dirt under and grind it into that gorgeous aluminum. Normally I avoid cases that don't offer bottom protection like that but in the case of Evutec there's almost no indication in the product photos of the case not covering the chin. My other issue is with the quality of the case, there's sharp edges all around the case, especially where the chin curves out, material is also very uneven and the curves don't match up from side to side. Overall I'd say it's a $10-$15 case not a whopping $60 in terms of the quality.
Note: the red vinyl on the phone under case wasn't on it when I initially got the case and it fit the same with or without vinyl.
Not that there a lot of options, but the Evutec is far better than the Case-Mate. I like that the Evutec has the double-sided tape, the case stays on.
beaker77 said:
Not that there a lot of options, but the Evutec is far better than the Case-Mate. I like that the Evutec has the double-sided tape, the case stays on.
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It's extremely overpriced for something that doesn't even cover the bottom of the phone, kinda disappointing since their cases for other phones are very high quality at a third of the price of this.
sanyokt4j said:
It's extremely overpriced for something that doesn't even cover the bottom of the phone, kinda disappointing since their cases for other phones are very high quality at a third of the price of this.
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Just noticed the hinge and chin can be damaged if dropped because of lack of protection. I hope we get more options soon.
When you got this phone did you get used to the curved screen?
What is watching youtube videos like, does the video play on the curved part of the display as well or only on the flat part?
For me it houses One Handed Operation +.
Vids are gorgeous and the one thing you didn't notice are the perfectly square corners.
I loathe rounded display corners... in person the square corners are quit striking.
I have zero issues with the 10+ display... it's a 10.
I agree with blackhawk, I dislike all these phones with curved corners. Both my phones, Note 10+ and the Mate 30 Pro have square corners and even more than a year later I still find them both stunning.
About the curved screen or should I call them curved edges, that's where I notice uncommanded touches like trying to take a picture but the phone refuses to take the picture because while you hold and try to push the virtual shutter you are touching another part of the display. Both the note and the mate are having this issue so I bought myself a small digital camera to take pictures for work. Although both phones are producing better quality pictures I need something simple, push halfway-focus and snap a picture without having to fight the touchscreen and different modes...
cfds said:
I agree with blackhawk, I dislike all these phones with curved corners. Both my phones, Note 10+ and the Mate 30 Pro have square corners and even more than a year later I still find them both stunning.
About the curved screen or should I call them curved edges, that's where I notice uncommanded touches like trying to take a picture but the phone refuses to take the picture because while you hold and try to push the virtual shutter you are touching another part of the display. Both the note and the mate are having this issue so I bought myself a small digital camera to take pictures for work. Although both phones are producing better quality pictures I need something simple, push halfway-focus and snap a picture without having to fight the touchscreen and different modes...
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I use the Zizo Bolt case as while it allows display access it has raised side guards that help block accidental touches.
I hold it by the lower left corner or kickstand constantly.
Very grippy and make the 10+ easier to hold and use. It provides excellent drop protection, as I have inadvertently proven with many drops from 2-4 feet onto concrete with zero damage*. Excellent corner, cam and faceplant protection.
The only downside is the kickstand tends to break. At $20 a pop and with aftermarket kickstand available... it's still a great case.
* all those were with just the case and not the clip on holster which adds a total of 3 layers of drop protection. In the holster it's pretty much untouchable except to vehicle run overs
I use the OEM case with integrated kickstand (the ones which lookes like a suitcase on the back) fitted in a encased holster. But even with the OEM case I have accidental touch-inputs. So far I have not "tested" the OEM case. I did "tested" the OEM flipcase cover and it did its job. A lot depends on how the phone hit the deck and on what surface...
blackhawk said:
I use the Zizo Bolt case as while it allows display access it has raised side guards that help block accidental touches.
I hold it by the lower left corner or kickstand constantly.
Very grippy and make the 10+ easier to hold and use. It provides excellent drop protection, as I have inadvertently proven with many drops from 2-4 feet onto concrete with zero damage*. Excellent corner, cam and faceplant protection.
The only downside is the kickstand tends to break. At $20 a pop and with aftermarket kickstand available... it's still a great case.
* all those were with just the case and not the clip on holster which adds a total of 3 layers of drop protection. In the holster it's pretty much untouchable except to vehicle run overs
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I may try this case if I get the note 10+
I looked around and there were very few cases that offered adequate screen protection on the sides.
The few that seemed to offer it was the Iblason cases and the tech 21.
Darklandscape said:
I may try this case if I get the note 10+
I looked around and there were very few cases that offered adequate screen protection on the sides.
The few that seemed to offer it was the Iblason cases and the tech 21.
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The Bolt is about 2mm higher on the sides and higher on the ends. On a flat surface there is no contact.
Any higher on the sides will grossly interfere with touch usage. As it is occasionally I barely can cut/paste without the spen when closest to the left edge. Of course you can rotate the display but this is awkward to do.
The black/black variant is the most desirable followed by the black/gunmetal variant.
Insert the phone starting with bottom first, it's a tight fit, this way works best. Take care not to displace the screen protector. You may need to trim the top corners very slightly. So far I have not using the Gorilla IQ Sheild but it's damn tight squeeze*. Some Bolt variants come with a screen protector depending on the phone, I have my doubts about those. However I never sampled them.
At $20 a pop it's a cheap experiment and a great case... I have a small stockpile of new ones, that's how much I like it. I will be using the 10+ most likely for a long time.
*I use #600 wet sand paper to wet sand the inner corners slightly so to remove any molding ridges to keep the screen protector from snagging. I've been playing a lot with these cases